The invention concerns bag spreaders generally and, more specifically, an uncomplicated device for holding open the mouth of a flexible plastic trash bag or the like as leaves or other debris are swept or gathered into the bag.
The advent of disposable plastic trash or leaf collection bags has greatly eased the annual leaf gathering burden of the suburbanite. Such bags are usually strong, extremely lightweight and thus can hold a considerable quantity of raked leaves.
A major problem with these bags is that they are very difficult to hold open as one attempts to rake or sweep the gathered leaves into the bag. Ordinarily, one either finds a companion who holds the bag open so that leaves may be swept within, or he tries to hold the bag at least partially open with one hand while attempting with the free hand to manipulate the leaves into the bag. Of course, success eventually comes but not without considerable difficulty.
The prior art is replete with ideas on devices for holding open the mouth of such a bag and simultaneously orienting the bag mouth vertically so that the leaves and other debris may be swept into the bag. Some of these devices are unduly complicated while others are rather unwieldly. U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,030 issued to P. D. Schultz discloses a wire frame arrangement with ground engaging spikes and a pair of clothespins to retain the trash bag on the frame. A similar spiked frame and clothespin assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,415 issued to J. V. D'Antonio et al. Another but more complex spiked frame having pairs of jaws to grip portion of the bag to keep it open is illustrated in the U.S. patent to A. Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,081 while another wire frame support having a portion extended into the main body of the bag is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,928 issued to L. E. Beugin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,842 shows a bag spreader in the form of an incomplete, rectangular frame employing the resiliency of the frame to spread the bag open and keep it open as debris is gathered into the bag.
What the prior art discussed above fails to disclose is a simple bag spreader in the form of an uncomplicated hoop for stretching and retaining the bag as debris is swept or gathered into the bag, the hoop having a spike or spikes for orienting the open mouth of the bag upright on the ground, with or without the further assistance of a ramp for guiding debris into the bag; a conventional or drawstring closure bag may be used.